Without you, I am not me
by Zeraxon
Summary: Will the 19th Shiba Head come to terms with his inner feelings? Takeru x Mako
1. Fire and Heaven became one

Fire and Heaven became one

The retainers had just left to continue their normal lives. Jii had packed to go and stay with his granddaughter. Takeru, for the first time in a long while, felt lonely. There was a void within him, created by the sudden absence of the people he was closest to. Particularly, he was feeling down that he never told a special person about his thoughts...someone important to him... someone different from others he had met.

Wandering out to the training field, he absent-mindedly pulled his ShodouPhone out from his jacket. ShinkenRed wasn't needed anymore, but suddenly, he found his brush controlling him. Focusing all his Mojikara, he imagined his best memories and drew the Memory Character. Immediately, an image of that special person appeared before him- it was Mako. Although just an image, she was very real... she seemed to silently call him out to him through her eyes. He could even hear her voice calling, "Takeru... Takeru..." A few seconds later, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and the voice became clearer. He instantly recognised it and spun round. There Mako stood before him and it wasn't an image this time, no Mojikara was being used: it really was Mako.

Did you forget something? And what about your flight to Hawaii?" he asked shyly, trying very hard to conceal his feelings for her. But she was sharp. She could see him blushing.

"Well, not really. Um, Takeru..." she mumbled, walking towards him.

She was fidgeting with her bag. Her hands made their way to her hair and she untied it. It fell to her shoulders and neither of them could fight it back anymore.

Takeru moved forward and whispered, "I love you, Mako. I really do."

Before Mako could react, he had wrapped his arms around her. He knew that he was doing what none of the previous Shiba Heads had done, he was hugging his retainer. But he did not care. That was insignificant. All he was worried about was if Mako was fine with it. And then the most amazing thing happened. Mako whispered, "Oh Takeru, I love you too." But what surprised Takeru was that Mako responded completely, throwing herself into his arms. He was stroking her silky, raven hair as she gently kissed him on the lips.

For once, Fire and Heaven were one. Takeru and Mako were kissing. And they were savouring each moment of it. The burden of being a samurai was gone, the distinction between Lord and vassal no longer existed. All that remained was the essence underneath, an innocent love. The two were hugging each other out of pure love.

Maybe it was only an instant for which they were one, but it filled the void within Takeru. Then he heard the footsteps of the Kuroko and he let go of Mako. The clock struck four. Mako had an hour to catch her flight. He walked her to the gate. Mako walked a few more steps after he stopped but turned around and said,

"I'll be gone for a month only."

"I'll be waiting," promised Takeru, smiling as he waved to her as her figure shrunk and disappeared into the distance. Takeru walked back home and into his room.

His special person had left, but now he was not alone, and he knew he never will be, because Heaven and Fire had unified in his heart.


	2. Shiba on the surface, Takeru from within

Shiba on the Surface, Takeru from within

Takeru sat on his bed, thinking about what just happened. A distant memory came back to him.

"Why was I so shy to tell Mako about my feelings? After all, it's not the first time I've been so close to her. In fact, she was the one who..." Takeru chuckled as he spoke to himself. His sentence was cut short by the memory which enveloped him without him even using the Memory Character. Sighing, he fell back onto the bed and leaned on his pillow and shut his eyes.

It happened a year ago. An Ayakashi with a strong mastery of fire attacked the city. The six Shinkengers arrived at the scene. Quickly disposing of the Nanashi, the team charged at the beast. Dodging the multiple flaming projectiles, the samurais slashed it repeatedly. This opponent had a special move: he could heat the ground and catch the Shinkengers off guard. He attacked successfully, knocking them all, except Mako, to the ground, undoing their transformation. He charged a fireball and hurled it at them, mainly targeting Takeru.

Mako threw herself in front of Takeru and took the brunt of the blow, losing her consciousness in the process. Scrambling to their feet, the others surrounded Mako as the monster fled due to a lack of the Sanzu River's water. Ryuunosuke deduced that she had to be taken to a hospital, and so they rushed her to the nearby general hospital, where doctors rushed in and out of the ward. Jii had learnt of the unfortunate event, but Takeru told him to manage the home in case of another attack.

A while later, they were allowed to enter the ward, where Mako lay, injured badly.

"She'll be okay, right?" asked Genta.

The doctor nodded, but looked worried and grave. He left without another word.

"Mako, how valiant. Protecting Tono like that..." began Ryuunosuke, but his voice trailed away.

"Nee-san, why did you do something so reckless? It's completely unlike you..." mumbled Chiaki.

Kotoha could only cry softly, glancing at Mako. Takeru remained silent, leaning against the wall. He did not look at any of his retainers, but kept staring at Mako. Chiaki was blaming Takeru for Mako's plight. Silencing him, Kotoha placed her hand on her Lord's arm, but Takeru shifted away uncomfortably. The doctor peeped in and asked them to leave, and they promptly did, but Takeru trudged behind. When they all were out of the ward, he turned to look at Mako's face.

She stirred and called weakly, "Takeru... please stay."

Inexplicably, the young lord found himself retracing his steps. Mako tried to sit up, but was visibly exhausted.

"Mako, lie down. You mustn't push yourself too hard," he said compassionately but sternly, pushing her gently back onto the bed and properly adjusted her head on the pillow.

Tucking her under the blanket covers, he sat on the bed by her side and held her hand, stroking her hair for a few minutes, which she seemed to like, until she drifted back to sleep. He promised to save her in his mind. Peering in by the window, the others had seen this little episode. Takeru could sense it and got up to leave. He walked past the others but stopped, his back facing them when Chiaki called him.

"What are you..." he stated to say but was cut off by Takeru, who seemed to have read his mind.

"Just for today. I just wanted to make sure she was feeling alright." he said sternly, shutting his eyes, still not looking at any of them.

After a few seconds, he opened them and walked down to the ground floor and out of the hospital. The four were speechless.

Takeru walked far enough until the remaining Shinkengers could not see him from the fourth floor window. Drawing the horse character, Takeru mounted his with horse and rode to the place where he could sense the Ayakashi. This one had a concealing spell, and the Gap Sensor would only be able to detect the second life. Being proficient at Mojikara, Takeru could sense this and thus headed to battle.

"So, how did you find me, ShinkenRed?" questioned the monster, puzzled.

Takeru did not reply. He drew the Fire character and transformed into ShinkenRed. Using the Kyoryuu Disc to become Hyper ShinkenRed, he destroyed the Nanashi and faced the Ayakashi one on one, defeating it swiftly by whipping it repeatedly with the extendable KyoryuuMaru. He called upon the InRouMaru to form Samurai Ha-Oh on his own and used the Mojikara Dai Dai En to finish it off. He jumped off the titan and undid his transformation, just as his team arrived. They were hurling questions at Takeru.

"How did you know about the attack without the Sensor going off, Take-chan?" questioned Genta.

"Is the Sensor faulty? Why didn't it ring upon detecting the first life?" added Ryuunosuke.

"Tono-sama, what's going on?" asked Kotoha.

"How dare you leave us out of battle?" yelled Chiaki.

Still not looking at anyone, Takeru patiently and clearly explained to the puzzled team,

"The Ayakashi had a concealing spell. The spell reduces the negative energy it carries, and therefore the Sensor will not ring. The appearance of the second life, however, releases enough energy to activate the Sensor. I was able to sense it because of my intense training in Mojikara over twenty years. The spell takes a lot of negative energy to be used, and that amount can only be gathered over 10,000 years. So the good news is that the next few hundred generations of Shinkengers would not need to face this problem. And I needed you guys on standby in case I got hurt in battle. The wounds from taking the attack are not treatable by the traditional medicine the Kuroko are trained in. I did not want any of you to face Mako's plight. That's why I fought alone. It's my duty as a Samurai to protect the world from the Gedoushuu, but I'm also responsible for your lives as a lord."

Leaving his team stunned, Takeru quickly walked away. He actually went to the hospital, where Mako was able to sit up. Looking at her in the eye like he had never done before, he said,

"Get well soon," flashing a small smile before leaving. He saw Mako return a smile through a corner of his eye, but continued without speaking any more.

By the time the others arrived, they saw could only see a familiar figure disappearing into the distance through the fourth floor window outside the ward.

"I don't understand that guy at all! Mou!" complained Chiaki.

Remembering why they were at the hospital, the four dashed into the ward, where Mako was upright, looking at them. She looked happy, as if she could understand what Takeru was thinking when he acted the way he did and Chiaki questioned her about it.

Mako merely smiled, and looking out of the window, replied,

"Well, I heard you complaining, Chiaki. All I can say is that he's not just Shiba Takeru. He's Shiba on the surface, but is Takeru from within," leaving the others puzzled, especially Chiaki, but all of them silently decided not to bring it up again, at least until Mako recovered.

Then Takeru opened his eyes and sat up on his bed.

"Right! So Mako did like me! Why was I shy at all?" he asked himself.

The he made a decision: he would think about it until Mako returned, so that he could ask her with at least some ideas in mind.

"That'll keep me occupied for a month!" he thought gleefully, before allowing his head to hit the pillow again and falling asleep from a tiring afternoon.


	3. Beyond the Mind Part 1

Beyond the Mind (Part 1)

Buredoran was defeated. Shitari was gone. A younger Sentai was handling the threats now. The Shinkengers finally had time to rest and relax. His retainers decided to spend the vacation at the Shiba Mansion, now that the Gedoushuu were gone. As for Takeru, he could finally start thinking about his relationship with Mako.

Genta's cooking was messed up by Ryuunosuke, who added a little too much oil into the food. A furious Chiaki and Genta chased Ryuunosuke around the room. Kotoha stared helplessly and Mako shook her head disapprovingly as Takeru sat on his cushion, closed his eyes and meditated for a minute.

"Do they STILL need Mako and me to watch over them like their parents?" He wondered.

Then he stood up. Mako caught the expression on his face and shut her ears.

"DAMARE! SHUT UP!" he screamed.

His voiced reverberated around the hall. The commotion died down. Everyone was stunned, except for Mako and Jii.

He addressed them all seriously.

"Chiaki, Ryuunosuke, and Genta. For acting like kids, I'm assigning a punishment training schedule to the three of you. Jii will ensure that it is adhered to," he said, passing Jii a piece of parchment on which he had written instructions before retreating to his room.

The trio's jaws dropped when they read it. Suddenly, the Gap Sensor rang. Learning the location from the Kuroko, the team raced to the spot to battle the beast. They transformed, and were gaining the upper hand when the creature shot projectiles at them. Everyone dodged, but unfortunately, Mako was hit.

Inexplicably she began attacking her teammates, yelling "I WILL NOT LET YOU DO THAT."

Everyone was stunned. They could not fight back. Takeru managed to dodge all her attacks, but the others were injured. Takeru went on the defensive, crossing his sword with his love. He swore not to hurt her. It pained him to do so, but he had no choice. He saw an opening and used his Rekka Daizantou to conjure flames long enough for his team to escape. Mako did not retreat with the Gedoushuu, but walked away into the distance.


	4. Beyond the Mind Part 2

Beyond the Mind (Part 2)

Back at the mansion that night, the injured Shinkengers received herbal treatment from the Kuroko while Takeru gravely briefed Jii about the incident. Jii could see a kind of mixed emotion, a blend of anger, sorrow, loss and loneliness in the Lord's eyes, but decided not to bring it up.

Although injured, the others demanded a discussion after a heavy-hearted dinner, which they did not eat properly. Takeru however, dismissed the idea, saying that there was nothing constructive for them to talk about at that moment. They all retired for the night.

"So he only became open because Nee-san was around? Not because he was comfortable with us? Never mind about that, he's not even interested in saving Nee-san now! That bastard..." growled Chiaki in a private room with just Kotoha around.

"Well, Tono-sama was the one who saved Ryuu-san... And Chiaki, couldn't you see his eyes then? He's disturbed too. He's our lord, he feels responsible..." she tried to explain, but Chiaki just stormed back to his room.

When all had fallen asleep, Takeru woke up, donned his dark blue training Gi and walked over to Mako's room behind Kotoha's. Standing at the door. he knelt down, just like Ryuunosuke did when he bowed to the lord. He verbally promised that he would bring her back home. Then, walking carefully so as to not wake Kotoha, he headed to the training field and sat crossed legged to meditate, all his Mojikara focused on a single point.

He imagined Mako and shut his eyes. Her words,

"I WILL NOT LET YOU DO THAT!" rang in his ears.

"Will not let us do what? What are you stopping us from doing? Mako, let me into your mind." he asked.

He could then see what Mako was thinking when she attacked them. What he saw nearly stopped his heart. His resolve to save her multiplied a thousandfold. He then returned to his room, planning about his next battle.

The next day, the whole team turned on him, including Genta, forcefully demanding a discussion. Takeru nodded, and revealed that he was going to discuss it anyway.

"I've managed to deduce that Mako is under a spell, similar to the previous incident with Ryuunosuke," he announced, and continued, "However this is more complicated. The Shiba Clan's cleansing Fire Mojikara alone is not enough. We need something else too. Speaking of which, the Shiba Mojikara is required in great proportions to undo this spell, for which I will not be able to join you in battle for some time. I will make the necessary arrangements," he explained.

Summoning Jii, he whispered something into his ear and Jii hurried away with a Kuroko into an inner room. He emerged with a box, which Takeru opened. Inside were the Kabuto, Tora, Kajiki, Ushi and Kyoryuu Discs, along with the InRouMaru. He passed the Kabuto and Kajiki Discs to Chiaki and Ryuunosuke respectively, and gave Kotoha the Tora Disc. Genta received the Ushi Disc. Takeru also entrusted the Kyoryuu Disc and InRouMaru to Ryuunosuke and Chiaki before packing some things and heading out on his horse.

He rode all the way to the mountain where Hiro and his family lived, for that was where his adoptive mother Kaoru had settled under the care of Tanba. Her mansion was much higher up the mountain that the village in which Hiro lived, but Takeru raced there. Tanba bowed, and Takeru nodded before asking for his mother. Kaoru could see the expression on her son's face and was quick to learn of the mishap. She then told him the solution, but Takeru already knew. What he needed was the aid of his mother and Hiro.

The boy was called for, and the first thing the three did was to head to a grassy area outside Kaoru's home. Takeru opened his bag, and placed an empty Disc on the stone. He then took out Mako's pillow, which he had brought. Hiro placed his hand on it and absorbed the Heaven Mojikara, which he transferred to a single cell of the disc before taking his leave. While Kaoru held her son to give him ore power, he drew small versions of the Fire Kanji which were absorbed into alternate cells on the white Disc with a single pink cell with Mako's Mojikara, and turned the white cells red.

By then, the other Shinkengers had learnt of his whereabouts and arrived at Kaoru's home, just in time to see Takeru collapse from fatigue. Chiaki and Genta caught him and placed him on the bed, but he refused to rest and tried to contact someone else with his ShodouPhone. When everyone had left the room, the line finally got through.

Meanwhile, the Gedoushuu were discussing. But the young lord was faster. He had already seen through their plan due to his love for Mako. Takeru was already pushing his long, exhausting plan into the next stage...


	5. Beyond the Mind Part 3

Beyond the Mind (Part 3)

"The 19th Tono-sama? Shiba Takeru? Yes, how may we assist you?" asked a voice.

Takeru instantly recognised it as Kyoko, Mako's mother. He explained the situation to her and she immediately agreed to aid him. Takeru heard her pass the phone to someone else.

Shiraishi Mamoru sounded weak, but glad.

"I'm relieved that my daughter has been under such a caring, able Lord," he told Takeru.

That night, Takeru left a note in his room, sneaked out from Kaoru's dwellings and drew the car character. He drove to the airport with his bag and took the flight to Hawaii, which he had booked before he came to visit Kaoru.

When he arrived, he found Mako's father looking worried, waiting in the lounge. Mamoru took Takeru home. The next day, as Takeru and Kyoko were preparing to complete the Disc, Jii called Takeru.

"Tono, Mako has appeared with the Ayakashi. In your absence..."

Chiaki cut him off and started yelling, but Takeru said softly,

"Chiaki, let Mother lead you in my place. In my absence, I trust you the most in facing Mako. She's your Nee-san, right? So, let Mother lead, and DO NOT let me down."

"Takeru... you really..." Chiaki began, but his voice was stuck in his throat. Swallowing, he replied, "Yes. I will not disappoint you, Tono-sama. But you better do your part ok? Be sure to come back with the special power you mentioned in the note. Or I'll kill you!"

Takeru was stunned, yet relieved. His young vassal was growing up. And he was proud.

"I swear I will. So go, to save the the city... and Mako." said Takeru, before cutting the line.

While Kyoko added more Heaven Mojikara to the empty cells of the incomplete Disc, Takeru grabbed the shinai and began training furiously for hours, till his fingers were bleeding. He collapsed on the ground and Mako's father ran to his aid. Helping Takeru into a seat, he tended to his wounds like the Kuroko. Takeru recalled him telling Jii that he was part of the Kuroko of Hawaii, and smiled.

"Mako... really means to you, doesn't she, Tono?" asked Mamoru.

Takeru remained silent. He was very tempted to tell him of his relationship with Mako, but then mustered enough courage to mumble

"Oh no, please call me Takeru. I am just doing my duty as a Shiba lord by caring for her life. She's the only one besides Chiaki to call me by my name. But I'm comfortable with that..."

The last few words had escaped his lips before he could stop them. Mamoru looked up. Takeru expected him to get angry, but the older man smiled before looking out of the window, where he could see Kyoko finishing the disc.

"Well, I can now clearly see that she means to you as much as she does to us." he said with a hearty sigh, which seemed to tell Takeru that he had accidentally dropped a hint about his love.

But the sigh seemed different. It was almost understanding. As if Mamoru was not surprised. Takeru pushed it into the corner of his mind. They heard Kyoko calling, and rushed over. They watched as a small Heaven Kanji disappeared into the last empty cell, turning it pink. The disc then turned black, with gold lining, somewhat resembling the Super Disc. Takeru picked it up, bowed, thanked Mako's parents for their assistance and ran out of their mansion. This time, he had not booked a flight. He used a DaiHenge on the Shishi Origami and flew to Japan. He landed at the mansion and Jii briefed him about all that had happened while he was gone, as well as the current battle which Kaoru was leading.

He arrived at the scene to see Kaoru and the others get hit by an energy blast, undoing their transformation. The Ayakashi raised its blade to kill Kaoru, but a huge, flaming Protect Kanji appeared in front of her. Takeru walked in towards it, slashing furiously at all the Nanashi and headed straight for Mako. The other Shinkengers, who had fainted, regained consciousness to see him transform. Sliding the new Disc into the ShinkenMaru, he charged at her. She attacked him, and they crossed swords again.

Takeru spun the Disc and shouted, "Ten Kaen no Mai!"

His sword was enveloped in flames and a tornado was released, increasing the flame. He swung the sword towards her, but was suddenly worried. What if he accidentally killed her? But it was too late. The flames, charged with the purifying Fire Mojikara of the Shiba clan hit her and the monster, destroying both its lives in a single strike. Takeru and Mako were blown in the opposite directions. Takeru scrambled to his feet while supporting himself with his blade and staggered towards her.

When he reached her, he knelt down beside her and whispered,

"Mako, pull yourself together. Mako... Mako!"

She slowly opened her eyes.

"Takeru, you're okay? Where am I? What was I... I mean, everywhere I looked, they... you..." she said weakly.

"I know what you saw. I know that wherever you looked, you saw Gedoushuu trying to kill me. I was meditating and saw that. But those were illusions. You were really fighting us. It was a plan by a surviving follower of the Kusare Gedoushuu's plan to kill me and drive you insane after my death, so as to effectively destroy the Samurai Sentai. I knew the only way to save you was to combine my Fire Mojikara with Heaven Mojikara, including your own. So I had to go visit Hiro, and your mother in Hawaii..." he explained.

"Takeru, you've done so much for me. I love you..." she silenced him with a finger to his lips and cried into his chest.

Takeru did not care that the others were watching. He hugged her. Everyone was shocked, but Genta nodded. Kaoru smiled after recovering from a momentary shock. Takeru then helped Mako up and they made their way home. Chiaki was teasing them, but Takeru did not care. He held the Ten Kaen Disc and smiled. It truly symbolised his bond with Mako - it was beyond the mind.


	6. Something's Missing

******_*After Chapter 5, the vassals returned to normal life, before this chapter takes place._**

**Something's Missing**

Takeru had just finished his morning training and had his breakfast. It was good, just like it always was, prepared by the Kuroko. Jii had helped out, so it was slightly better than normal. After all, he was the parent figure who raised him. To help Jii out for once, Takeru headed out to the grocery himself.

He had not reached the grocery yet when he saw some Nanashi appearing. No Ayakashi was present, so Takeru drew the sword character to produce a ShinkenMaru and cut them all down with military precision without transforming. But as more appeared, he transformed using the Fire Kanji and used his Rekka Daizantou to destroy large masses of the foot-soldiers. By then, Jii had arrived at the scene.

Suddenly Takeru heard someone scream, "Mako WATCH OUT!"

The lord spun round to see a man cover a lady as the Nanashi approached them. She was not his vassal, but the name itself was enough to make him act the way he did. He threw himself in front of the couple and charged his Mojikara before executing a powerful Hyaka RyouRan move to destroy all the Nanashi. The civilians scampered away.

A worried Jii slowly approached Takeru.

"Tono, just now, it felt as if your Fire Mojikara went out of control - that can only happen if one's emotions go out of control, so... is everything alright? Is something in your life... missing? I hope it doesn't have anything to do with..." Jii was able to seal the last word early enough.

"No Jii, there's nothing wrong. I'll go to the store, you can go home now, the situation is under control." Takeru preempted Jii's next question and answered it before it was asked, "No, we don't need to assemble the team again, these are just the occasional summer attacks because of the heat which increases the Sanzu River's power."

Jii nodded and left. When Takeru left the store after shopping, he received a call. Jii sounded frantic, but happy.

"Tono, I've received word that the whole team is on the way here now to spend the vacation here for a week or two. I think you should hurry back home!" said Jii.

"The whole team! That means I'll get to see Mako again!" thought Takeru as he raced home.

The team arrived soon after, and after the six of them had a small chat, they returned to their rooms to settle down. Mako approached Takeru and said,

"I think I'll handle lunch for today."

Normally he would have been worried, but this time, he genuinely agreed, although he was slightly worried. Mako was about to head to the kitchen, but he grabbed her by the waist from behind and leaned on her shoulder.

"Include some Hawaiian dishes. I'm interested in what it might be like. From what I've learnt, I understand that I should have high expectations..." he told her.

She agreed, and left for the kitchen. He tailed her, but took the longer route to the kitchen, and arrived only as she finished preparing the ingredients. He ordered the Kuroko to keep the idea of Mako cooking lunch a secret and dismissed them from the kitchen. Then he slid the door shut. Only Mako was left with him. He didn't look at her, but looked at the table and commented,

"Looks like you've got a real plan this time, don't you Mako?"

She nodded. But when shifted his eyes around the room, he saw that she had already overheated the rice balls, and was momentarily stunned. Then an ingenious idea hit him. He would use her mistake to his advantage! He leaned on the wall and said,

"You know Mako, it's really thoughtful of you to cook for us although you've just taken a long trip here with the others... In fact, I'm really excited to see how it's going to turn out this time, and I really appreciate how much you care."

Mako turned to face him and had just replied that it was not a problem, but he quickly advanced towards her and locked his lips with hers. She was stunned, but reacted early enough and reciprocated his kiss. He was savouring it once again, just like their first kiss before she left for Hawaii. Her breath, her scent... to him it was heavenly, like her very own Mojikara.

He did break away a few minutes later, and then whispered,

"I know I accidentally dropped a big hint the last time with the Ten Kaen Disc, but let's keep this quiet for now."

She agreed, and he returned to the hall, where Kotoha was playing with the Saru Origami. She ran out to chase her little toy, as the other guys caught up. Takeru assembled the guys around the small table, like what they did when they were planning to retrieve the Kyoryuu Disc from Manpuku. Takeru addressed the guys with his grave, Tono-sama voice,

"Guys, the greatest crisis presents itself once again... Mako is COOKING!" he cried.

Ryuunosuke hit his head on the wall. Genta collapsed. Chiaki stared at Takeru.

"YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING AND DID NOT ASSIGN THE KUROKO-CHAN TO 'ASSIST' ? HOW DARE YOU!" he yelled.

"Chiaki, calm down. I wasn't able to stop it, but I have increased our chances of survival by 50%. I asked her to cook something Hawaiian too."

"If her Japanese cooking is that bad already, I wonder how her Hawaiian cooking might be..." mumbled Ryuunosuke.

Genta looked up from the floor, but fainted again.

"How does Hawaiian food save us?" questioned Chiaki.

"Her mother's taught her some skills. I'm not worried about anything Hawaiian. But her Japanese food is still a source of concern..." replied Takeru.

"How do you know?" Chiaki probed further.

Turning away, Takeru chuckled and answered,

"Well, she sent me a parcel of home-cooked Hawaiian food last month. It's one of the best meals I ever had!"

Jii rushed in with the Kuroko and set up the hall with mats and plates. He placed a digestive pill at everyone's places. Takeru sat cross-legged and anticipated the food. Mako brought the food in. Takeru slowly slipped his pill into Genta's hand and whispered,

"I think you need it more than I do, Chef Umemori"

A worried Jii asked, "Tono, are you sure?"

Takeru nodded, and tucked into the food. Mako watched gleefully as everyone tried her good Hawaiian cooking and commented on how good it was. The strange thing was, no one touched her Japanese food. However, Takeru was able to single-handedly have the largest serving of Hawaiian food, and finish all of her flawed Japanese foods. Mako didn't understand, but did not raise any questions.

Later that night, as she helped the Kuroko wash the dishes, Mako saw the Kuroko turn down the knob on the oven. It was at maximum temperature when she cooked the rice! Realising the reason why no one ate the rice except Takeru, she ran to find him, as he was stargazing in the training field.

She approached him and quietly asked,

"I realised that my Japanese cooking didn't really improve as I was concentrating on Hawaiian cuisine. I understand why the others couldn't eat it, but how were you able to? I didn't see you take any digestive medicine..." she began, but he turned to look at her and chuckled as he cut her off.

"My dear Mako, why would I need digestive medicine when I already had strawberry-flavoured lipstick to wash it down?" he asked playfully.

Then Mako understood his plan and threw herself into his arms.

"I love you..." she whispered.

"No, I love you more..." he said, as he stroked her cheeks and kissed her on the forehead before looking up at the stars.

The two of them saw a shooting star streak across the night sky. They did not speak, but both made the same wish - that they would someday be each other's life partners.

"Now that that's done, I don't think you'll have to worry about the legend of the curse of wearing a wedding dress before getting married might bring, and how it might result in one never getting married, okay? I'll always be here for you, Mako," he said, as she reached up and ran her hands through his thick hair. The two then walked back into the quiet mansion where everyone was asleep, holding hands. Fire loved Heaven, and Heaven loved Fire.


	7. Back to the Beginning

Back to the beginning

The team had reassembled, and as it had been awhile they were in the area, each of them decided to spend the afternoon on their own. Ryuunosuke was going to watch a kabuki performance by an aspiring young dance group. Chiaki and Kotoha left for a greenhouse, and Mako left immediately after breakfast. Takeru saw a glint of joy in her eyes that morning, but he didn't ask her about it. That left Genta and him in the Shiba mansion.

"Genta, not heading anywhere? That's unlike you..." commented Takeru as he and Genta stood looking out at the training field.

"Actually I've been thinking of pulling my Sushi Cart around town again, just for today. You know, going back to the beginnings, before I was a chef? And what about you, Take-chan?" Genta explained.

"I'll be here for the most part, then I'll go to Tengen Temple. I've got to visit my father, and the original ShinkenRed. In a way, it's just like what you're doing - going back to the beginning," answered Takeru.

The two men walked to the gate and parted ways. Takeru headed for the Temple, where he was greeted by the Priest, and then he knelt down before his father's grave. A tear fell from his eyes.

"You know Father, ever since I had to carry the burden of being a Kagemusha, I have been tormented by my lies. If I'm here now, it's because of my team. They are not my retainers - more like guardian angels. I may have shown them the way of the Samurai, but they've taught me more than anyone else about life. I've finally got the time to get to know myself, to find out who I am. I've been able to talk to my 7 year old self, before I became a Kagemusha. That part of me is still alive, particularly because Mako didn't let that boy die. It's been more than a year since the main Gedou forces were wiped out, and after a lot of questioning, I think I am ready to think about my life apart from fighting. I like Mako. You'd approve of her, right?" he questioned, glancing at the spot where Shiba Retsudou was buried, and stood up.

"Takeru-sama, you seem to wonder about many things. I do not know your exact thoughts, but I can sense uncertainty within you. It's been over a year since peace has returned. You don't need to worry. It's a transitioning point in everyone's lives. Speaking of which, your father gave this to me the day you were chosen to protect the 17th Lord's child," said the Priest, walking towards Takeru.

The elderly man held out a HiDen Disc, which Takeru received with two hands, and he examined it. No Kanji was written on the cells, and they were all white.

"It's empty. It's not even got a recording like the Kyoryuu Disc..." asked a puzzled Takeru.

"Yes, I know it is. That was exactly how your father gave it to me, when he came to ensure the InRouMaru was safe, just hours before the battle. He told me that if you ever needed help in transitioning through your life, you were bound to come here, and asked me to give it to you when I felt you needed it most. He added that you had all the power you need to go through it, but you just might need to channel it in the right place, and he hoped that this empty disc could act as the ideal vessel for you."

Takeru thanked the priest and returned home. He immediately looked for Jii, and found him in the kitchen, supervising the Kuroko. Takeru pulled Jii aside and dropped his voice.

"Jii, can I have the key to that room?"

Jii understood, headed in, and brought the key for Takeru. Takeru then headed into the other rooms, and reach the back of the house, where he found a keyhole, and opened the locked door, which opened into a small quarter, enough for a family of three. He walked in,. He wiped his eyes, left the disc inside, and locked it again before heading to the training field, where he repeatedly drew the paper character to produce sheets of paper, which he folded into paper airplanes and played with them. Two hours later, he slumped to the ground, sat up, and smiled. He had been all alone at home for the past hour as Jii went to see his grandchild.

"Takeru?" Mako was walking towards him, and she sat down beside him, paper airplanes decorating the field.

"Mako, where did you head off to? I saw you were pretty happy this morning, but you didn't tell me anything." asked Takeru.

"Oh I just headed down to the kindergarten where I used to work to say I'd be rejoining them for a year starting from next month. Don't tell me you didn't go anywhere..." she began, but he replied before she could finish.

"I went to Tengen Temple, to see my father, and I missed him so I started playing with planes."

"So that's how you were able to soothe the kindergarten kid? Your father taught you!" she wondered aloud.

Then she took his hand in hers, looked at him in the eyes and assured him,

"If you ever miss your parents, you can talk to me. We both have that in common, so I understand how it feels to not have them around. I never got many hugs from my parents, that's why I like to hug people who are hurt," and so saying, she hugged him. But this was a special person to her, so she kissed him on the forehead.

"Thanks, Mako," he whispered, and then added,

"Come with me."

He led her by the hand to the same room which he locked, and the two of them entered it.

"Takeru, where is this place? I've never been to this part of the mansion before..." questioned Mako.

"This was where I was born. It's a living quarter that is actually detached from the mansion, it's linked by the passage I took you through. My parents were imperial officers under the Shiba clan, my mother died when I was two. Father raised me as a single parent until that day..." his gaze shifted to a family photo of him as a toddler, with his parents.

"You looked so cute, even back then. If we ever had a son, I'd want him to be like you," remarked Mako, touching his picture.

He then headed out of the room, and she followed him, and he re-sealed it.

Mako held Takeru's hand and asked,

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"I'm sorry, Mako. But some secrets have to follow us to the grave, unless we can find the right person to place our trust in. I'm glad I found you." he answered, before pulling her into another embrace.

Both of them looked at each other, and simultaneously said,

"I love you."

Laughing, the two walked hand in hand to enjoy the sunset until everyone returned for dinner.


	8. Leaving loneliness alone

Leaving loneliness alone

Takeru finished his morning training before the other Shinkengers woke up and sat at the steps by the training field. He looked up at the sky, and imagined his parents smiling down at him.

"It's alright - I'm not alone anymore. I've got the team with me, I have Jii, and Mako will always be by my side," he assured them telepathically.

After breakfast, Ryuunosuke, Genta, Chiaki and Kotoha decided to go to the amusement park. They asked Takeru if he wanted to follow them, but he declined.

"Don't give me that crap! You're hiding another Disc from us, aren't you, Takeru?" challenged Chiaki.

"No, I'm just tired, and I want to rest."

"Seen Neesan around?"

"She went back to her room. I think she's sleepy too."

Genta butt in and dragged Chiaki out. Takeru assumed nothing was out of the ordinary, and walked back to his room.

"Tono, do you need medicine?" asked Jii, but Takeru declined and went into his room.

A while later, he heard a knock at his door and he opened it. Mako stood there, dressed casually, as if she was going for a walk.

"Going somewhere, Mako?" asked Takeru.

"Yes, to a place I want to show you," she answered.

He headed out with her. For the first time, he walked through the streets and observed everything his eyes had to show him, in a different perspective. People smiling as they walked in and out of buildings, children playing cheerfully, families heading out, vehicles passing and much more. These were sights he had seen before, but now, there wasn't any fear of an imminent Gedoushuu attack. This was the peace achieved by them all.

"Is this what you wanted me to see? The peace we achieved?" he questioned her.

"I figured that you would commit yourself to your duties to the point where you might have not even taken a proper walk to see these sights, but it isn't exactly the place I wanted to show you. Actually, there are two places We're close to the first stop, and we should be there in five minutes." she explained.

They continued walking when she suddenly stopped at the foot of a large block. She slipped her fingers between his and led him to the lift, and they took it to the 20th level, where she unlocked the door to an apartment using a key she took out from her bag. They two entered and sat on the couch. Neither of them spoke.

He looked around. The apartment was small, but neat. He knew Mako had lived alone before she came to serve him, but he had no idea that her house was so small. As Mako got up to go and get drinks, Takeru's gaze fell on a picture of a little girl with an elderly lady.

Mako came back with two cans, and passing him one, she said,

"I see you've found that picture of me with my grandmother. It was taken a fortnight after the battle..."

Takeru fell silent. Memories of his own father flashed before him. That was all his father was now - a distant memory that somehow seemed close to him. He finally found his voice, and sensing that Mako felt the same way he did about his father, decided to change the subject.

"You know, Mako, this place reminds me of you - organized, compact, neat. How did you ever find this place?" he asked her.

"Oh you see, when I reached 19, three years before we were summoned to help you with the war, Obaa-san decided that she needed solitude, and that I needed to learn to be independent. So she moved out of our house and I moved in here. This is where I learnt it all. How to take care of myself, how to be responsible, and a lot more about life," she told him everything without hesitation.

Takeru could see it clearly now. Mako was the elder sister of his group, and here he was, peeking into the past, one almost as lonely as his, and he could see how it had nurtured a talented Samurai who was skilled at more than just the sword. He thought of all the troubles he would have faced in handling the other four Shinkengers if she hadn't been with him, especially with Chiaki, and giggled as he finished his drink. He loved her more as each second passed, and felt truly blessed to have met her.

"Mako, I can't imagine how I would have suffered in handling the others, especially Chiaki, if you hadn't been with me, Kagemusha or not. Thanks..." he told her, gripping her arm. She blushed and nodded, and he continued;

"Why didn't you stay in the same house after your grandmother left?" he asked.

"I think it'd be better if I explained that the next stop," she answered and led him out, locking the door.

After they walked for another thirty minutes, they arrived at a mansion that was smaller than Takeru's and she knocked on the door. The door opened and a young maid came out.

"Mako-san, you've not come here for quite some time," remarked the girl.

"I'm sorry, Natsumi-san, but I've been busy..." replied Mako before she introduced him as a friend and took him in, without revealing anything about their relationship.

She took him around the house, and for some reason, Takeru liked the place better than his own Shiba mansion.

"You sure seem happy, Takeru. What is it?" Mako asked him

"This place... it's where your grandmother raised you, isn't it? I don't know why, but somehow, I kind of wish that I grew up here instead. It doesn't have the haunting seriousness of being a Samurai like my home does. So, why didn't you stay here when your grandmother left?" he asked.

At this, Mako's voice started breaking as she answered him.

"When Obaa-san left, I felt lonely, very lonely. I had already been deserted by my parents once, and I felt that I couldn't bear it anymore. I cried. I had sleepless nights. So, I swore that I will never return here until I wasn't alone, packed up, and left in a week. Now, I know that I am not alone. I've got you. That's why I came here today."

"Mako..."

Takeru couldn't say a word more than that. He thought that his past was sad, but looking at Mako's, he realised how wrong he was. His story about his father spending his whole life at the servant quarters at the Shiba Mansion, only to die in the battle did not seem as bad as he thought. Then Mako threw herself into his arms and cried into his shoulder. Takeru found his voice and whispered,

"You're right Mako. I'm here. I've got you, and I love you."

"I love you too, Takeru. But please don't leave me. My parents left me My grandmother left me. It was hard to accept, but I won't be able to take losing you..." she said, sobbing.

"I promise I won't," he told her as he held her tightly, and she relaxed herself against him.

Then suddenly they heard Natsumi approaching and let go of each other. Bidding Natsumi farewell, the two Samurai walked back home.

"So, now that you know that I'll be here for you, and that you won't be alone again, are you going to stay in that mansion?" Takeru asked her.

"No, although my parents passed it to me, I think I'll sell it off or rent it out. I've been much happier in that apartment. And after all, I don't need that mansion when I've got the Shiba house, where I know you'll be." she said.

Both of them laughed and went home hand in hand.


	9. Valentine's Day Disaster?

Valentine's Day... Disaster?

Valentine's day had arrived, and the Shiba house was nearly empty. Only Takeru and Jii were left in the house after he had finished his training and Mako hadn't arrived yet. Chiaki and Kotoha had left together, causing Takeru to suspect that they were going out on a date, but he decided not to say anything out of mutual respect. Ryuunosuke had returned to his village and Genta flew back to Paris for a week to concentrate on the rushes that he would have to handle at his restaurant in this popular period of time.

Takeru pulled out his ShodouPhone and sent Mako a message to come to the bridge at which they had battled the Gedoushuu after he fled into the night while the war was going on, and left for the same destination. He arrived early, and stared at the sky. Not only did it remind him of Mako, it brought back memories of his father, and faint thoughts about his mother whom he never really got to know.

"Otou-san, I never thought I'd actually be doing something on Valentine's Day, because since I was a child, the prospect that I was being raised to deceive four people had always haunted me. To me, lying is the greatest punishment one can be bestowed, and I've suffered because of that. I've been hurt that people would put their lives on the line for a person like me, who didn't deserve to be protected, a person who was disguising his duty of protecting to look like he needed to be protected."

He smiled, because now, he could be himself, yet do what he felt gave him a purpose to live. He could be himself, yet protect the world from the Gedoushuu. His thoughts began to trail away, but then he caught sight of a familiar figure approaching through the corner of his eye. Mako stood next to him, gazed out at the city and asked him casually,

"Isn't this place the same bridge where we found you fighting Nanashi after you ran away from the mansion?"

"Yes, I know it's weird for me to tell you to come here of all places on a day like this, but I have my reasons. You see, I ran away because the thought that my lying, although for the greater good, had put Ryuunosuke's and Kotoha's lives at risk. I wanted to confess right then and there and apologize for my sins, but to do that would put the Shiba Clan at risk, along with the fate of the rest of the world - the burden you always asked me to reveal. And the reason why I didn't have to come back here to pity myself and try to forget my loneliness when Juzo questioned my strength as an independent warrior was because you stopped me early enough and knocked sense into me. Now I'm not in the state I was in when I first came here and I'm grateful to you for that." he explained.

"I figured that out on my own, but now, hearing you tell me this from your side of the issue although it happened two years ago really makes me wish I could have helped you sooner, perhaps mitigate and reduce what you had to go through," she told him affectionately, massaging his shoulder.

"I hated it, and I hated life itself at that point, but I'm not upset to have gone through that because that was when I really began to appreciate you."

Takeru stopped speaking, averted his eyes from her, and began to speak softly.

"Mako, I'll tell you this directly. I don't know how to present flowers, write poetry, sing romantic songs, or even cajole and talk sweetly. But I do know one thing - to speak the truth confidently. This mindset was what made it exceptionally difficult to carry out my duties. But I'll be honest with you. I love you, and I'll only love you. I'm not sure if I'm actually ready to get married and legalize this relationship yet, but I want to be by your side, because I like how you are always very open with me about who you fundamentally are deep down inside, and I strongly believe that with your help, I'll be able to discover who I am on the inside. You're... fine with waiting for me right?" he asked her.

He couldn't bear to look at her, but suddenly Mako felt her emotions overcome her and she kissed him on the cheek. He lifted his face and turned to look at her and they locked their lips.

When they finally broke away, Mako whispered softly,

"Takeru, I had to wait for my parents for 17 years without a clue of whether they would come back at all. But all you are asking for is time. I still have you by my side, and I would wait for you more than I would for anyone else in this world."

Both the Fire and Heaven Samurai could no longer control their emotions. They hugged each other and locked lips once more. And as the Fire of Love burned in their hearts, both knew that this was a match made in Heaven.


	10. Repetition

**Repetition**

Takeru tore his eyes open. He slid the door aside, reached for his training Gi, donned it, and headed to the field, his hands itching for a shinai. He slashed the practice dummy repeatedly, practicing various techniques for two hours, but as he raised his arms to perform as straight vertical slash to slice apart the straw figure, he stopped and enjoyed a gust of wind, which was very soothing since his Mojikara was heating his body quickly. But Takeru knew better. He put down the wooden pole, smiled, and said,

"Thanks, Mako. That really helps me feel re-energized" chuckling, without turning to look behind.

She moved forward, reached for his shoulders, and massaged them. She hit a spot where his muscle had tightened, making him wince, but then he sighed and tilted his head to one side, resting his head on her arm as she stroked his hair affectionately. She led him to the steps at the edge of the field, and the two of them settled down on the steps, resting their feet on the smooth stepping stones. The clock struck five, and the sun was slowly beginning to discard its cloak of clouds.

Takeru turned to face Mako questioningly. Raising an eyebrow, he remarked,

"It's still five in the morning. I wouldn't expect you to be up this early, and the Kuroko are just beginning to deploy according to Jii's roster. Speaking of him, Jii himself would not be up for another hour, and I'll be expecting everyone to fall in for training only two hours later..."

"I'd ask you the same thing. As much as you are the 19th lord and as much as you have the responsibility to train us all, I wouldn't expect you to be training since three... that's two hours more than your normal schedule, and it is harsher than the most horrible punishment schedules you'd just write off for Ryuunosuke, Genta and Chiaki without thinking..."

She was about to continue but he interrupted her, suddenly sounding slightly more serious.

"How did you know I was training since three?" he asked.

She giggled and answered casually,

"Well, I had trouble sleeping after three..." with a playful sparkle in her eyes.

"Did I wake you? Sorry.." he began, blushing, but she silenced him with a finger to his lips.

"I liked it. You know - waking up to your voice. But as punishment for last night's sleeping issues, I'll give you this..."

And so saying, she locked her lips with his. Oh, how he yearned for more! He just could not get enough of that feeling. When he did break away, he smiled and said,

"So I should disturb your sleep more, shouldn't I? If only you could keep punishing me like this... or are you suggesting that I'm getting rusty with my swordplay?"

he exclaimed, and she stifled a giggle.

"Ok now you've done it. Get up and we'll settle this," he said sternly, picking up his shinai.

And so they trained together. Over a friendly sparring duel, Mako nearly won him. Not by the blade of course. She had kissed him as he was about to disarm her with his signature move that broke Juzo's Uramasa. And he had countered by reciprocating with one his own, but he held her hands tightly and stroked her hair so that she could not deliver the final strike.

"Cheating," said Takeru, and she replied,

"so were you."

Both looked at each other silently, and Takeru broke it by saying,

"Let's practice tag-team fighting"

Mako agreed, and the two Shinkengers transformed. Takeru pulled out a disc and held it up for her to see. It was similar to his Raiden Disc. He preempted her questions and explained,

"This was something I had been working on to use as a new training mechanism. The disc contains images of the Ayakashi we battled in the past, so upon usage, it erects a Mojikara shield around the area and randomly summons an Ayakashi for us to destroy.

They used it and Akumaro materialized. Takeru and Mako fought in sync, almost as if the two could read each other's minds and made quick work of gaining the upper hand against Akumaro. Then the both of them closed in to perform the fatal blow. Takeru summoned his Rekka Daizantou, and placed his Ten Kaen disc into the base slot. Then he added his Shishi Disc and commanded,

"Mako, lend me your Kame Disc. Use your wind to increase my fire, and we'll channel that Mojikara outburst through the Rekka Daizantou."

She nodded, loaded her personal Disc and held his shoulders as they transformed the huge sword into its canon mode and blasted Akumaro. The resulting energy release undid the barrier and their transformation, as the other four Shinkengers watched in awe, halting their warmups, including Ryuunosuke.

"Mako-chan and Tono-sama make such a great duo..." said Kotoha dreamily, as Chiaki nodded but cut in and added,

"But they are so different, Neesan is very sensible but that jerk is actually irrational most of the time..."

"Chiaki, stop badmouthing about Tono immediately!" Ryuunosuke said sharply.

No sooner than he had said that, the Gap Sensor went off. The six of them raced to the spot and handled the threat. The remaining Ayakashi following Doukoku's fall were very disorganized, so they had to handle a lot of Nanashi. Surprisingly, the monster headed for Mako instead of Takeru. Takeru sensed that something was out of the ordinary and charged towards it too. Suddenly the duel escalated to a full scale one on one battle, and Mako was thrown backwards. Takeru caught her and raced to take her place in combatting the beast, but she pushed him aside and sprang at the creature. Takeru made a quick decision and drove off the beast quickly, but it was able to flee to the safety of the Sanzu River.

He undid his transformation, but kept his back to Mako as the other Shinkengers regrouped and brushed off dust.

"Shiraishi Mako, " he said, referring to her by her full name for the first time, and that too with a cold, condescending tone with a dark streak that seemed alien to all of them, and continued sternly, "I am ordering you out of battle until I decide it is safe for you to rejoin us. In the meantime, you will remain in the Shiba mansion and train at your own pace, separately from our training schedule. This decision is final."

And then he walked away without offering any other explanation, leaving the other five Shinkengers stunned. Why did he distance himself again, and that too from Mako of all people? What had happened in that battle. No one but Takeru and Mako knew...


	11. Unspoken Reasons

**Unspoken Reasons**

Takeru walked briskly into the mansion and into his room. He did not utter a word, and a silencing aura seemed to emanate from him. It seemed to haunt the sitting room even after he had disappeared into his room like he used to after heated arguments with the rest of his team, which was a very common occurrence while he was posing as the 18th Head to protect Kaoru during the war.

Everyone was stunned. He had entrusted his life to them, and they did the same to him, before their final confrontation with Chimatsuri Doukoku over a year ago. And even during the times when he lost the small confidence he had in his bonds with the other Shinkengers, he had never been this cold towards anyone. What shocked everyone was that Mako seemed to be the cause of his sudden coldness. Mako - she could always read him and stop him whenever he acted rashly, and all of them knew that Mako was an important reason for why Takeru was still alive as a red-blooded man, free from the clutches of falling into Gedou, more than they cared to admit.

Mako's eyes looked bloodshot. She seemed to be confused, distraught, but somewhere in those dark pupils, there existed something else. She fought back her tears, and rushed into her room at the far end of the mansion, behind Kotoha's. Chiaki took one look at her and couldn't lie to himself that things were alright. Something was wrong - and from both ends. Once Mako had left, he dashed to Takeru's door and bashed his fists against it.

"Takeru come OUT! WE WANT AN ANSWER! NOW!" he yelled. Kotoha ran off to comfort Mako. Genta and Ryuunosuke restrained him.

"Take-chan wouldn't answer now. He's shut himself in before and sometimes, he'll only come out if I called him when we were kids. I'd even sneak in and try to drop some handmade sushi that I would specially prepare for him without my father's knowledge if I could. But that was merely when the training got tough. This is... more serious in a lot of ways. Even I wouldn't interfere," Genta explained patiently, and his serious tone told Chiaki that there was a lot more to this than he could understand.

"Both Tono and Mako need time. We shouldn't rush them for answers," added Ryuunosuke.

"They're the oldest in the team, and the most mature too. We'll just have to trust that they will do what's best for themselves and this team, just like they've always been doing. If you respect their efforts in wanting the best for us all, then you should leave them alone and give them the precious time they need," and so saying, Genta perfectly summed up everything that Chiaki needed to learn from the episode.

Jii moved forward and squeezed Chiaki's shoulder, and the three men retired, leaving the young ShinkenGreen in the sitting room to mull over what had happened.

Meanwhile inside the room to which only the Shiba Heads had access, Takeru eased himself onto his mattress, pulled out his ShodouPhone and shut his eyes, before drawing the Kanji for silence, and a sound barrier formed around the room, leaving him oblivious to anything that happened outside.

He shut his eyes once more, and allowed the memory of the previous battle flood his mind, and that particular instance in which Mako pushed him aside before charging at the Ayakashi enveloped him. What he had seen in those crucial seconds disturbed him. It rocked him to the core. He found himself falling into a vortex of uncertainty and fear, but what Mako had taught him in the past returned to him. He was not alone and at this point of time, he desperately needed help. And when it was readily available, he did not need to be afraid to ask for it.

Takeru drew every last bit of positive energy he had left just to pick himself up and get on his feet. When he was physically drained by training, the Rekka Daizantou would be sufficient to support him. But now, he found himself uprooted, without the essential pillar of strength that he had always relied on: Mako. It hurt him to realise that what was once his greatest strength, was now his fatal weakness.

Jii stood at the door from the empty sitting room. Chiaki was gone. The elderly man did not knock, but shut his eyes and thought,

"Tono, without you and Mako the team is dissolving. Please, come back and lead us now. The Ayakashi still remains..."

Almost as if to answer his prayers, Takeru opened the door and said,

"Jii, I need to talk to you," before leading him to an inner room.

He pulled out his ShodouPhone again, but Jii stopped him and said,

"Tono, whatever we speak of here will remain our secret. You need not worry."

Takeru began explaining his plight to the man who raised him. Outside, Chiaki drew the Spy Kanji that was used on the Gap Sensor to hear what Takeru and Jii were discussing alone. But the overbearing presence of Takeru's fire Mojikara made almost everything inaudible to Chiaki, whose mastery of his own Tree Mojikara was inadequate. Straining himself to very near his limits which were much lower than Takeru's, Chiaki could only hear the phrases,

"I'm scared, Jii", and "It would be the greatest loss I - no, we can suffer. I can't afford that. Not now, not ever."

Chiaki was about to collapse. But he caught himself on time and ran to Mako's room and banged the door.

"Come in, Chiaki," came Mako's voice as she could sense his Mojikara. Kotoha slid the door aside and Chiaki entered.

"Neesan, I don't know what's going on between you and Takeru, and I won't interfere with that. But we all can tell that something is seriously wrong, from both ends. For the sake of this team, you two need to sort it out. I think you should talk to him. He might not answer us, but even if he's angry with you, it's only possible that he'll talk to either you and Jii-chan. You should talk to him." he said, before leaving, and he beckoned Kotoha to follow him.

When the two younger Shinkengers left her room, Mako took a few minutes to internalize whatever Chiaki told her before running off to find Chiaki. But still everyone understood. Something was wrong on Mako's part too, but what exactly was it about?


	12. Human Emotions

Human Emotions

Mako walked towards the training field, where she knew Chiaki was heading. As she approached, she heard Kotoha tell Chiaki,

"Maybe it would be a good idea for Mako-chan to head out for some fresh air and a change in environment before her meditation training that Tono-sama recommends."

Chiaki agreed with her, and it made sense to Mako. She headed out after informing Jii. She walked along the streets and took in a lot of the sights and sounds of the city for a change of pace, but still the huge emotional upheaval following the previous Gedoushuu confrontation had not settled in her mind, and so she eased herself onto a nearby bench to mull over it.

"Even with all the difficult things Takeru has gone through in his life, perhaps he might not understand... I can't blame him for that... But still..." her thoughts began to trail away, but then her thoughts were interrupted by a small voice saying,

" Mother... I wish you'd never leave me again..."

From where she was seated, Mako looked across the street and saw a mother embracing her child, promising that she would try her best not to leave on long trips without him. That reunion brought a small smile to Mako's face and lifted her spirits. She could relate to it, and it seemed to help put her mind at ease for a bit.

Back at the Shiba Mansion, the gloomy silence still hung in the air, but it was broken by the ringing of the Gap Sensor. The Shinkengers rushed to the scene. Mako watched as the Gedoushuu tried to kill the mother whom she had seen to drive the child into a prolonged state of despair, and immediately charged forward to fight the monster.

But suddenly, she was stopped by a huge, red protect Kanji that Takeru had drawn as he charged past her.

"Stay back. I'm saying this for the good of all six of us. The way you are now, makes you more of a burden than an asset to this team in battle" he told her sternly. Takeru ordered the Kuroko to escort Mako back to the mansion and headed forward to join his vassals in battle. Mako stood rooted and watched her comrades handle the threat, but saw the Gedoushuu attempt to kill the mother again. And the loss of a mother was a loss that Mako wished no child should suffer at that age. She tried to join the fray, but Takeru's barrier stopped her.

Suddenly there was a powerful gust of wind that caused the battle to come to an abrupt stop. The weakened Gedoushuu took this opportunity to retreat to the Sanzu River while the Shinkengers were distracted. Mako collapsed as Takeru scrambled to his feet, and understood that he had just sensed an overwhelming outburst of Heaven Mojikara. The Shinkengers rushed to where the knew Mako had fallen unconscious, and rushed back home. The Kuroko began to treat Mako's internal damage using herbal ointment. Chiaki once again approached Takeru.

"Takeru, I'm sure none of this would have happened if you hadn't ordered Neesan out of battle. Give us an explanation. NOW!" he yelled, but Takeru simply said

"You'll realise that I did not do anything wrong later. Call me when Mako's awake," before heading back to his room.

A few hours later, Jii informed him that Mako had regained consciousness and was having a light soup for dinner at the medical treatment room. Takeru immediately headed there. He knew the Kuroko was in there and hesitated, staying outside the room until the Kuroko left with the plates. Then he knocked on the door.

"Come in," came Mako's voice.

Takeru entered the room and sat down by the side of her bed, where she was sitting. He didn't know where to begin. It was true that he had done the right thing, but perhaps, he wondered, it was also true that he had been a little too harsh on her? He remained silent. Mako pushed everything else into the corner of her mind and tried to remain as objective as she could. She took a deep breath, and told him,

"Takeru, I've told you before. You don't have to hide everything from us. The more you explain to us, the better we can help you in this war. That's what we're here for. "

He nodded, swallowed, and slowly began. "I ordered you out of battle to protect you from this. I guess I wasn't able to. This sort of damage is caused by a loss of control over Mojikara, which happens when someone loses control over their emotions. I wanted to prevent you from being consumed by your Mojikara. If I hadn't intervened, a much more worse case of this phenomenon could have happened and killed you on the day I ordered you out." Mako fell silent, and he continued, "But when you chose to defy me, I understood that you had some deep reason for doing this. You've asked me this same question many times during the last war led by Doukoku: do you mind telling me what you've hidden from us until now? What is your reason?"

At this, Mako began to sob softly as she answered him with a single word.

"Revenge."

Takeru was stunned, and he asked her to elaborate. Tearing further, Mako said,

"You've seen my mother. She's waist-down paralysed and confined to a wheelchair. This separated me from her and my father at the tender age of five. All this was caused in our parents' confrontation with Doukoku. And that very Ayakashi was the one that attacked my mother in that battle and injured her gravely. Wouldn't the natural instinct be a desire for revenge?"

Takeru remained silent to allow the magnitude of what he had just heard to sink in. Then finding his voice, he told her,

"I've not told this to anyone before, but do you know why I wasn't able to defeat Doukoku the first time I stabbed him after I was adopted by Mother? It was because I wanted to do it alone for revenge. And so I failed. The second time, I reminded myself that I had to do it so that no one else should have to suffer because of him. Revenge is destructive. And I don't want to lose you to vengeance."

So saying he pulled her into an embrace, and promised that he would do all he could to defeat the Ayakashi and stayed by her side the entire night, watching her sleeping form.

The next day, Takeru declared that Mako would rejoin them in battle. No sooner than he had said that, the Gap Sensor alerted them to the appearance of the Ayakashi. The team rushed to the scene and this time, Takeru and Mako tackled the beast together, and executed the same move they used on the image of Akumaro while training, using the Shishi Disc, Kame Disc, and Ten Kaen Disc to destroy it, and later defeated the second life with Daikai-ShinkenOh.

As the team headed home, Genta and Chiaki asked Takeru,

"So how did you to make up?"

"We just had to come to terms with certain things about human emotions, that's all..." replied Takeru and Mako simultaneously, leaving the team speechless on the way home.


End file.
